Image-Line FL studio 20

FL Studio consistently tops polls as the most
popular music production software in the
world, and it’s not diicult to see why. 20 years
ago, it was born as the humble MIDI drum
sequencer, Fruity Loops, and it’s certainly grown
since. Over the course of its recent evolution, its
reputation as an amateur choice has crumbled
away as the number of professional fans
skyrocketed. It now stands as a feature-rich,
wholly capable production environment that
allows for composing, mixing, mastering and
performance. It’s become a joy to use for those
who like its unique worklow, and the last update
saw a gorgeous vector-based interface
introduced. However, there was room for
improvement. What, then, have Image-Line
brought to the table with this release?
Apple gets Fruity
FL Studio 20 is the irst major release to provide
a native Mac version, which supports both VST
and AU plugin formats. Not every Image-Line
synthesiser and plugin has made the leap, but
the DAW is all here. One FL license now includes
both the Windows and Mac version, so if you’re a
multi-OS user, you’re getting so much bang for
buck you might be wondering what the catch is.
The customer-friendly Lifetime Free Updates
policy is still going strong, meaning existing
I m a g e - L i n e
FL Studio 20 €289
It’s skipped its teens, following version 12 with version 20 in a nod to its
anniversary. Now in its 20th year, is the popular DAW reaching its prime?
“If you’re a multi-OS
user, you get so much
bang for buck, you
might be wondering
what the catch is”
SNAP PER
100 CENTS
Main pitch knob
and others such
as those in the
sampler snap
every 100 cents
PDC ON ROUTING
Plugin Delay Compensation now
works when sending channels
with differing latencies
WAVEFORM
FEEDBACK
Waveform will
show in the
playlist as
audio is
recorded to it
GROUP TRACKS
Group tracks in
the playlist and
hide/show them
via the arrow
CUSTOMISABLE TOOLBAR
Choose the controls you want
visible, and where you want
them
MULTIPLE TIME
SIGNATURES
Add multiple time signatures
within the same project
FREEZE EASILY
Right-click a playlist track
and choose Consolidate to
freeze MIDI to audio
MORE MIXER TRACKS
Amount of tracks in the
mixer has been
increased to 125
CHANGE ARRANGEMENTS
Add different playlist
arrangements to compose
variations of tracks
users will get FL Studio 20 free of charge. It
cannot be overstated what a phenomenal value
proposition this is, considering users have to
pay signiicant sums to upgrade to each new
version of most other major DAWs.
This also means Image-Line release
signiicant features between major releases, and
the time since version 12 saw additions such as
the impressive analogue-style Fruity Delay 3, the
invaluable Clip Picker along the side of the
playlist for quick selection of your patterns, a
High Visibility setting to show some GUI
elements more clearly, and new vector looks for
synths like Sytrus and Harmor.
Pick and Mix
The top toolbar is now comprehensively
customisable, and ofers the ability to choose
the buttons and displays you want. You can
rearrange and resize many of the elements,
which makes a very practical diference to your
EDITOR’S CHOICE
88 / COMPUTER MUSIC / October 2018
> reviews / image-line l studio 20
CMU260.rev_fl20.indd 88 24/07/2018 15:13